And was the holy Lamb of God, On Englands pleasant pastures seen!- And did those feet, William Blake

torsdag 29. august 2013

A poem for Harold Godwinson

Harold Godwinson is among the most maligned rulers of pre-norman England
and his role as antagonist was an important element in the Normans'
strategy of legitimisation in the years following 1066. In a sense
Harold was the mirror-image of Edward the Confessor, whom the Normans
revered as the man who had bequeathed the throne of England upon William
of Normandy. For while Edward quickly rose to a prominent position in
Anglo-Norman hagiography, Harold were to become a traitor, usurper and a
son of a man who displayed Judas-like features. In a future blogpost I
hope to expand more upon this treatment of Harold Godwinson, but for the
time being I merely put up a short poem written with some sympathy for
Harold as a ill-treated figure of Anglo-Norman historiography.

Om meg

Norwegian medievalist, bibliophile, lover of art, music and food. This blog is a mixture of things personal and scholarly and it serves as a venue for me to share things I find interesting with likeminded people.